Honda Dash 125

The Dash 125 now comes with much more in your face styling than before. Upfront the rider is greeted by a new design LED headlight along with a clear visor on top of the handlebar cowl. The cowl and the front apron have a sharp angular design. There are slashes and scoops that you would not expect to find at this price point. The apron mounted front indicators and the pilot light give it even more presence.

From the sides, we can see the equally aggressive yet functional leg protectors with fierce graphics. Even the spine of the underbone gets a shrouded look normally reserved for bigger bikes. The riders of the new Dash 125 will always have a very modern view in front of them. Even the rear-view mirrors – often the most overlooked part of a budget design – get stylized to fit the rest of the bike. The seat and the tail section has been left otherwise practical if a little under-designed – except for the color matched rear grab handle. The long exhaust and the blacked-out engine components give the bike a compact and dynamic look. There are 17-inch five spoke stylish alloy wheels on each end with matched bright pinstriping. The 70/90 front wheel is tubeless but the rear 80/90 wheel isn’t.

With dimensions of 1894 mm (L) x 707 mm (W) x 1124 mm (H) and a wheelbase of 1237 mm, it does not stray far from its compact origins. Another dimension is added to the bike through its color options. There are four of these to choose from - Pearl Magellanic Black, Vivacity Red, Pearl Nightfall Blue, and the Repsol racing livery. That last bright orange color scheme comes with equally bright orange wheels. Additionally, there is some very handy storage under the seat and a new dashboard up front. While it is still analogue, it comes in a stylish new design and includes a gear indicator.

The underbone frame of the Dash 125 is suspended on telescopic front forks and dual rear shock absorbers. The seat is low and accommodating at 767 mm. The handlebars have the same high position giving it a relaxed riding stance. The 26-degree caster angle and 108 mm of trail give it excellent handling – much like the bike’s previous iteration. The 142 mm of ground clearance makes it at home on bad roads. With just 103 kg to lug around fully loaded, the power feels sufficient and the handling can easily keep up.

Powering the Honda Dash 125 is an air-cooled SOHC 125 cc engine. Peak power of 9.8 hp comes at 8000 rpm and 9.54 Nm of peak torque is delivered at 6500 rpm. The power is sent to the rear wheel using a four-speed gearbox and a wet multi-plate clutch. The engine uses Honda’s PGM-Fi for fuel injection that gives it a good fuel economy, making the most of the 4 L fuel tank.

The S variant of the Honda Dash 125 comes with a single hydraulic disc brake up front and a drum brake on the rear. The R variant, on the other hand, comes with disc brakes both front and rear.

Honda has proven yet again that they are the best at making small capacity commuters that are also fun to ride. The Honda Dash 125 has some big shoes to fill, but going by the spec sheet alone, it shouldn’t have any problems.